HUEYTOWN,
Alabama -- The City of Hueytown is prepared to deal with the severe weather
expected to hit Birmingham this afternoon and evening, according to Mayor Delor
Baumann.

"We have all the equipment we need -- chains
saws, etc.," Baumann said today. "The fire department is ready. The police department
is ready. We are all ready to go."

"We have been watching the weather since last week," the mayor
said.

At this point, there are no firm plans to close city hall early,
according to Baumann. "We might (close) at about 3 p.m., but I think this (storm)
will come in a little later than was expected," he said.

The
schools in Hueytown are closing at 1 p.m., according to Baumann, who said some
employees might have to leave early to pick up their children.

There
are concerns about flooding "'in a couple of areas"' in the city, according to
the mayor. "We will have to deal with that if it happens,"
he said.

Coincidentally, famed TV meteorologist James Spann was the keynote
speaker at the Hueytown Chamber of Commerce banquet last week and talked about
the frequency of tornadoes in the area, according to Baumann.